The winter is all about hockey, and betting on hockey can make the season much more exciting. With
1,271 regular season games to bet on, hockey offers lots of opportunities to win. Learn the ins and
outs of hockey betting, from NHL puck lines to common hockey betting mistakes, so you can
successfully bet on NHL games with DraftKings Sportsbook.
Some of the most common
HOCKEY BETTING TYPES
Moneyline
In hockey, betting on the moneyline is simply betting on who will win the game, and is the most
popular method of betting on the NHL. For example, if the moneyline has Philadelphia at +110 and
Pittsburgh at -120, Pittsburgh is the favored team and you would need to bet $120 to win $100.
If you place a $100 bet on Philadelphia and they pull off a win, you would win $110.
Betting on an underdog can provide significant winnings if they manage to pull off an upset.
With so many regular season games, it’s important to be aware of how teams are trending and
equally, to pay attention to who is playing from each team, particularly the goalie. Look for
save percentage and goals against average for goalies and know whether or not a team is starting
their backup goalie to help decide which team to bet on.
Puck Line
A hockey puck line is a goal spread and is similar to the run line in baseball. Bets are
based on a 1.5 goal spread - bettors can either lay 1.5 goals with the favorite or take
1.5 goals with the underdog. So if Philadelphia is at +1.5 goals at odds of -110, Philadelphia
bettors will win their wager if Philadelphia wins the game or loses by one goal whereas
Pittsburgh bettors will only win their puck line bets if Pittsburgh wins by more than one goal.
In this scenario, a $110 bet on either side would win $100.
Totals
Hockey totals are bets based on the total number of goals scored in a game. You bet on
whether the total goals will be over or under the number set by oddsmakers. If the
over/under for Pittsburgh and Philadelphia is 5.5, you’ll need at least 6 goals scored
to win the over and a max of 5 goals scored to win the under.
Hockey totals are
typically set somewhere between 5 and 6.5 depending on the teams playing and the goalies
in net. In situations where the final goals scored equal the total (if 5 or 6), this is
called a “push” and the bet amount is refunded. Placing a hockey total bet with a whole
number means that occasionally, there will be no winners or losers.
60 Minute Line
A 60 minute line is a bet similar to the moneyline, but includes only the result at
the end of 3 periods and thus includes the tie option. If Toronto is playing New Jersey,
bettors can bet on Toronto to win in 60 minutes, New Jersey to win in 60 minutes, or the
tie at the end of 60 minutes. With the additional option of the tie, the odds on either
team are greater than the moneyline, but come with that additional risk of the game going
to overtime.
Parlays
A parlay bet is placing a bet on multiple outcomes to occur and requires all outcomes to
be selected correctly to win. For example, if you parlay $100 on Chicago and Los Angeles,
you’ll need both teams to win their respective games win the parlay bet. Given that you need
to be correct on each outcome in the entire bet, parlays are a riskier hockey betting type,
but offer greater rewards.
Grand Salami
A “Grand Salami” bet is a popular bet type for hockey bettors as it allows them to have a
rooting interest in every game on a particular night. A Grand Salami bet is essentially a
Totals bet however you are betting on the total number of goals scored across all of the
games played on a particular day. For example if there are 8 games on a given day, the
Grand Salami total will likely be between 40-50 goals.
Futures
Think Toronto is going to win the Stanley Cup? You can place a futures bet on it! If the
odds are +700 right now and you bet $100, Toronto hoisting the Stanley Cup would win you $700.
Futures are offered well in advance of any season and are continually adjusted as it unfolds.
Prop bets
Prop bets are additional bets that can be related to specific outcomes in a game (game props)
or player performance (player props). Will Sidney Crosby score a goal against Buffalo? You can
bet on that. Will Boston win the game by a score of 4-2? You can put money on that as well.
Widely considered to be fun bets, prop bets are typically available for just about anything
related to the game.
Live/In-Game Betting
The ability to bet on a game as it is happening. The odds are dynamic and will update over the
course of the game, based on the real action taking place. After the second period, San Jose is
up 1 goal versus Los Angeles. Put your money on them to win and reap the rewards, or bet on Los
Angeles to come back and root for a strong third period push from the Kings.
Where is hockey betting legal?Hockey betting and other sports betting is only legal in certain states. Find out where sportsbetting is legal on our page about sports betting legalization.
Some of the most common
HOCKEY BETTING MISTAKES
Not knowing the players playing
The lineup playing in a hockey game can have a big impact, especially the goalies. Even
if Toronto has a 10-5 record, if they are aren’t playing their starting goalie in a game
versus 7-9 Montreal, you’ll definitely want to consider that when placing your bets.
Mismanaging your bankroll
Before placing your first bet, set aside a sum of money to be used as your bankroll. The
fastest way to losing that bankroll is mismanaging it. Don’t chase losses (bet more than
you normally would) to make up for one loss. Don’t get greedy if you go on a winning
streak.
Life's more fun with skin in the game
Now that you’re primed for hockey betting, check out all that DraftKings Sportsbook has to offer. It’s an established, American-born company and provides a safe and secure betting platform. Best of all, it’s quick and easy to withdraw your winnings.